Most optimistic song

[Good,bad,andrush]

From each album:

Finding My Way

Anthem

I Think I'm Going Bald

Something For Nothing

Cinderella Man

Circumstances

Freewill

Tom Sawyer

Chemistry

The Enemy Within

Mystic Rhythms

Mission

Show Don't Tell

Dreamline

Stick It Out

Driven

One Little Victory

Far Cry

[Lost In Xanadu]

The 2 that came to mind immediately have been said ad nauseam, but Marathon and Mission.

 

Red Barchetta - while not "optimistic" always makes me think of driving one summer with the top down almost every day, always makes me smile.

[the masked drummer]

Spirit of radio i find puts me in an optimistic mood.

[Undemanding Contact]

QUOTE (the masked drummer @ Apr 25 2011, 04:16 PM)

Spirit of radio i find puts me in an optimistic mood.

Me too.

 

Actually, I have to say how glad I am that someone has, at long last, kicked off a thread on this topic. One of the things that I have always loved so much about Rush is the optimism that is inherent in so much of their music. On the surface, there is the explicit fact of all those wonderful optimistic songs that people have cited in this thread - I mean just go back and count the damn titles, there are stacks of them. In a much deeper sense, however, the band and their music have always come across to me as being implicitly optimistic.

 

For me, there is just something about Rush that carries a profound sense of optimism - if it is Rush music, it is always going to reassure me ultimately that all is right with the world, and that I really don't have to let my 'Monsters from the Id' worry me so [Forbidden Planet reference if anyone is perplexed by that last comment].

 

Other bands can be truly profound; certain Pink Floyd numbers, for example, move me greatly. But would I say I gain optimistic sustenance from Floyd? Not in a million years.

 

Speaking specifically about The Spirit of Radio: I went through a relatively short phase of not listening to Rush some years ago, and then, one evening, I came across my copy of Permanent Waves (it was like meeting an old, dear, life-long friend). Duly, I whacked it onto technology du jour, and in came that inimitable opening riff...

 

My immediate impression was as if someone, somewhere, had finally found the light switch for the entire universe, and had done the right thing - it was as if someone had just 'turned the lights on'. I'll never forget that, or a thousand thousand other warming moments when I have realised how lucky I am to be a Rush fan.

 

I mean that: I think I am lucky that Rush have existed and continue to exist in my lifetime - when it comes to the optimism stakes, Rush, the rank outsider, romps home at 300 to 1.

 

...And you can't get more optimistic than that.

[Good,bad,andrush]

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Apr 25 2011, 05:41 PM)

QUOTE (the masked drummer @ Apr 25 2011, 04:16 PM) Spirit of radio i find puts me in an optimistic mood. Me too.   Actually, I have to say how glad I am that someone has, at long last, kicked off a thread on this topic. One of the things that I have always loved so much about Rush is the optimism that is inherent in so much of their music. On the surface, there is the explicit fact of all those wonderful optimistic songs that people have cited in this thread - I mean just go back and count the damn titles, there are stacks of them. In a much deeper sense, however, the band and their music have always come across to me as being implicitly optimistic.   For me, there is just something about Rush that carries a profound sense of optimism - if it is Rush music, it is always going to reassure me ultimately that all is right with the world, and that I really don't have to let my 'Monsters from the Id' worry me so [Forbidden Planet reference if anyone is perplexed by that last comment].   Other bands can be truly profound; certain Pink Floyd numbers, for example, move me greatly. But would I say I gain optimistic sustenance from Floyd? Not in a million years.   Speaking specifically about The Spirit of Radio: I went through a relatively short phase of not listening to Rush some years ago, and then, one evening, I came across my copy of Permanent Waves (it was like meeting an old, dear, life-long friend). Duly, I whacked it onto technology du jour, and in came that inimitable opening riff...   My immediate impression was as if someone, somewhere, had finally found the light switch for the entire universe, and had done the right thing - it was as if someone had just 'turned the lights on'. I'll never forget that, or a thousand thousand other warming moments when I have realised how lucky I am to be a Rush fan.   I mean that: I think I am lucky that Rush have existed and continue to exist in my lifetime - when it comes to the optimism stakes, Rush, the rank outsider, romps home at 300 to 1.   ...And you can't get more optimistic than that. Excellent post, and you're not alone in that feeling. I think all of us here are lucky to be rush fans

[Undemanding Contact]

QUOTE (Good @ bad,andrush,Apr 25 2011, 05:47 PM)

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Apr 25 2011, 05:41 PM) QUOTE (the masked drummer @ Apr 25 2011, 04:16 PM) Spirit of radio i find puts me in an optimistic mood. Me too.   Actually, I have to say how glad I am that someone has, at long last, kicked off a thread on this topic. One of the things that I have always loved so much about Rush is the optimism that is inherent in so much of their music...   ...I think I am lucky that Rush have existed and continue to exist in my lifetime - when it comes to the optimism stakes, Rush, the rank outsider, romps home at 300 to 1.   ...And you can't get more optimistic than that. Excellent post, and you're not alone in that feeling. I think all of us here are lucky to be rush fans Thank you for the compliment my friend

[1 of the 7]

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Apr 25 2011, 05:41 PM)

Actually, I have to say how glad I am that someone has, at long last, kicked off a thread on this topic. One of the things that I have always loved so much about Rush is the optimism that is inherent in so much of their music. On the surface, there is the explicit fact of all those wonderful optimistic songs that people have cited in this thread - I mean just go back and count the damn titles, there are stacks of them. In a much deeper sense, however, the band and their music have always come across to me as being implicitly optimistic. For me, there is just something about Rush that carries a profound sense of optimism - if it is Rush music, it is always going to reassure me ultimately that all is right with the world, and that I really don't have to let my 'Monsters from the Id' worry me so [Forbidden Planet reference if anyone is perplexed by that last comment].

Absolutely. For me, how it works is that he/they agree that life can be very, very hard, validating your feelings and making you feel as if you're not alone, and then turn this into a strength, saying that if you've survived what life's thrown at you, you can probably get through just about anything. They don't just tell you to "cheer up" without first acknowledging that yes, you have to deal with a lot of challenges, but they DO tell you to hang in there (and that there's no better option). There are even a number of examples like the songs mentioned here that show you why it's worth struggling, and of course, musically, the songs are energizing in and of themselves.

[Silas Lang]

QUOTE (HowItIs @ Apr 25 2011, 05:55 AM)

Plus -- Prime Mover, One Little Victory, Marathon

Agreed. Also Ceiling Unlimited, New World Man, Closer To The Heart

[HowItIs]

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Apr 25 2011, 03:41 PM)

QUOTE (the masked drummer @ Apr 25 2011, 04:16 PM) Spirit of radio i find puts me in an optimistic mood. Me too.   For me, there is just something about Rush that carries a profound sense of optimism - if it is Rush music, it is always going to reassure me ultimately that all is right with the world...   Speaking specifically about The Spirit of Radio: I went through a relatively short phase of not listening to Rush some years ago, and then, one evening, I came across my copy of Permanent Waves (it was like meeting an old, dear, life-long friend). Duly, I whacked it onto technology du jour, and in came that inimitable opening riff...   My immediate impression was as if someone, somewhere, had finally found the light switch for the entire universe, and had done the right thing - it was as if someone had just 'turned the lights on'. I'll never forget that, or a thousand thousand other warming moments when I have realised how lucky I am to be a Rush fan.   I mean that: I think I am lucky that Rush have existed and continue to exist in my lifetime - when it comes to the optimism stakes, Rush, the rank outsider, romps home at 300 to 1.   ...And you can't get more optimistic than that. That riff.... I know exactly what you mean. I hadn't listened to much Rush for many years before I went to the TM show last summer. It was a dark time for me (I've gone into it on other threads and won't bore everyone again). But the second I heard that riff.... it was more than a switch for me; it was like a massive surge of nostalgia and - I don't know how else to say it - positive energy just slammed into me. That evening marked a turning point for me.   Like you, I am so happy to be a Rush fan. I'm thrilled that they are still making modern music. Even more thrilled that they are still touring and I get to see them again this summer.

[kooma]

Closer To The Heart

[Nate2112]

Digital Man.

 

'nuff said.

[EmotionDetector]

Without a doubt...

 

PRIME MOVER!

 

"Anything can happen"

 

It was the first song that came to mind immediately when I read the thread title. Everything from the lyrics to the music screams optimism. Love it.

 

 

[Alvy Singer]

Natural Science

 

The most endangered species,

The honest man,

Will still survive annihilation.

Forming a world

State of integrity,

Sensitive, open and strong.

[Tommy Sawyer]

QUOTE (Alvy Singer @ Apr 27 2011, 09:54 AM)

Natural Science The most endangered species, The honest man, Will still survive annihilation. Forming a world State of integrity, Sensitive, open and strong.

NatSci has some of the best Rush lyrics ever

[Zanadoo]

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ Apr 27 2011, 08:42 AM)

Without a doubt... PRIME MOVER! "Anything can happen" It was the first song that came to mind immediately when I read the thread title. Everything from the lyrics to the music screams optimism. Love it.

gotta agree with the habs fan painful as it is...

[GuitarPlyr01]

I'd have to say One Little Victory or Far Cry. Me personally, I've always had Stick it Out up there as an optimistic tune.

 

Overcoming obstacles and "sticking it out" through even the worst of times. That song has gotten me through so much in my life.

 

Someone above mentioned Bravado. I agree, but I've always looked at Bravado as a song about hope. That no matter what happens, we will pay the price we have to pay for our what we've done, but we will keep our pride, and when we look back on it, we will not regret what we did.

 

Bravado may be my favorite "deep" lyric Neil has ever written when it comes to emotions and feelings.

Edited April 28, 2011 by GuitarPlyr01

[IChoseFreeWill]

For some reason, I have not been able to get into Bravado.

 

Stick It Out seems to be the only Rush song that is an 8 in the Enneagram. And 8 is in the Reactive triad. But the song itself does have a positive message.

 

Prime Mover speaks to me a lot. They are saying that there IS a Higher Power behind the scenes. One that gave us free will and autonomy- not to mention creativity and imagination.

 

I have been listening to Marathon and Mission a lot recently. My library has A Show of Hands, so I borrowed and downloaded it entirely. Both are so beautiful and optimistic!

 

 

[Snyder80]

Marathon, Vital Signs, Mission.

 

I know I'll get flack for Vital Signs but I've never been someone who fits into a clique or a group of people and that's my favorite Rush song about non-conformity.

[Alvy Singer]

QUOTE (IChoseFreeWill @ Apr 28 2011, 05:34 AM)

Stick It Out seems to be the only Rush song that is an 8 in the Enneagram. And 8 is in the Reactive triad. But the song itself does have a positive message.

Sounds amazing.

 

What does it mean?

 

[StellarJetman]

QUOTE (Alvy Singer @ Apr 28 2011, 09:20 AM)

Sounds amazing. What does it mean?

They're personality tests.

[EmotionDetector]

QUOTE (Zanadoo @ Apr 27 2011, 08:58 PM)

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ Apr 27 2011, 08:42 AM) Without a doubt... PRIME MOVER! "Anything can happen" It was the first song that came to mind immediately when I read the thread title. Everything from the lyrics to the music screams optimism. Love it.  gotta agree with the habs fan painful as it is...